Job seekers will take jobs with unfavorable conditions

Cheryl Siedlik, a business analyst, enjoys spending evenings with her husband. On a recent job interview, she was asked whether she would accept a position with night hours. Seitlik immediately answered yes. "My thinking was that I would just get my foot in the door.''

Unemployed seven months, Siedlik, like other job seekers, has redefined her compromises tied to work life issues. Listen in on a job interview and you rarely will hear the conversations raised that once took place. Yesterday's deal killers such as tedious commutes, long hours and travel no longer factor into whether candidates accept a job. "People are open to things they never would have considered,'' Siedlik says.

Employers now have the upper hand. Manpower's Employment Outlook Survey found that 73 percent of more than 28,000 employers surveyed expect no change in hiring plans. Even worse, companies still are cutting workers. Challenger reports January had the highest job-cut tally in five months.

Deal killers tend to differ depending on personal situations. For example, Siedlik will compromise on hours, pay, even title, but not on employers' unrealistic expectations. She recently interviewed for a position similar to the one she left, but at a company in a different industry.